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Meta Platforms-owned social media giant Instagram is exploring a new feature called “Friend Map.” This functionality, currently in the internal testing phase. It would enable users to view the real-time locations of their friends who opt-in to share their whereabouts on a map interface.

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Technology publication TechCrunch initially reported the news. It comes with leaked screenshots from a social media app researcher suggesting a user-controlled approach to location sharing. This aligns with the existing “Snap Map” feature on competitor Snapchat. Potentially mitigating privacy concerns for users hesitant about continuous location disclosure.

This development reflects a trend of Instagram incorporating functionalities popularized by its rivals. Notably, the widely used “Stories” feature, where content disappears after 24 hours, originated on Snapchat before being adopted by Instagram to great success. It remains to be seen if “Friend Map” will follow a similar trajectory, but it signifies Instagram’s continued pursuit of user engagement through innovative features.